1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shipping restraint system for appliances and, more particularly, to a removable pin locking system for restraining movement of movable portions of an appliance during shipping.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In appliances having movable portions, such as a basket and tub assembly of an automatic washer, it is necessary to restrain the movable portions against vertical and horizontal movement during shipping. If sufficient shipping restraints are not employed, it is possible for the various portions to move relative to one another beyond their intended limits thus causing damage to the appliance. Specifically, in an automatic washer it is possible for the tub assembly to be shifted laterally against the cabinet, resulting in permanent deformation of the cabinet or damage to the tub assembly, particularly if portions of the assembly are fabricated of a plastic material.
Several different types of shipping restraint systems are proposed in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,249,215 discloses a ring-like structure for use in restraining movement of a washing machine tub and agitator in which the ring member serves as a brace between the top cabinet opening and the top of the tub and also against the agitator, to prevent movement therebetween. Other patents disclose packing devices or wedges to restrain movement of the agitator or basket within the washing machine cabinet. Such patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,335,849; 3,620,365; 3,861,525 and 4,366,902. In addition to a packing block, U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,902 additionally discloses the use of removable braces to secure a bottom end of the drive assembly to the frame of the washer.
Although some of the prior shipping restraint devices may be effective to prevent movement of various parts during shipping, they are generally relatively expensive because of a multiplicity of parts or are cumbersome to install and remove.